Keres, Paul

classical era

Paul Keres (1916-1975) was an Estonian grandmaster known as the "Crown Prince of Chess" for being arguably the strongest player never to become World Champion, finishing runner-up in the Candidates Tournament four consecutive times from 1953-1962. After winning the prestigious AVRO 1938 tournament ahead of future world champions, his title chances were derailed by World War II, beginning a career-long pattern of near-misses at the ultimate prize.

Total Games

1570

Wins

696

Draws

708

Losses

166

44.3% wins45.1% draws10.6% losses

Most Played Openings

C86 - Ruy Lopez: Closed, Worrall Attack26E14 - Queen's Indian Defense: Spassky System25C84 - Ruy Lopez: Closed23C99 - Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense, Panov System22C87 - Ruy Lopez: Closed, Averbakh Variation22D41 - Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense21C71 - Ruy Lopez: Noah's Ark Trap21C73 - Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz Defense19C92 - Ruy Lopez: Closed18E19 - Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation, Main Line17

Most Faced Opponents

Smyslov, Vassily40 gamesGeller, Efim P34 gamesPetrosian, Tigran V32 gamesEuwe, Max27 gamesStahlberg, Gideon26 gamesTal, Mihail26 gamesSpassky, Boris V25 gamesGligoric, Svetozar25 gamesBronstein, David I25 gamesFlohr, Salo21 games

Featured Games

FCGFCG
0-1

Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vs Keres, Paul

World Championship 18th

1948

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FCGFCG
0-1

Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail

World Championship 18th

1948

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FCGFCG
0-1

Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail

World Championship 18th

1948

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FCGFCG
1-0

Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vs Keres, Paul

World Championship 18th

1948

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FCGFCG
0-1

Euwe, Max vs Keres, Paul

World Championship 18th

1948

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FCGFCG
1-0

Keres, Paul vs Najdorf, Miguel

Gothenburg Interzonal

1955

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FCGFCG
1-0

Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul

World Championship 18th

1948

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FCGFCG
1-0

Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail

World Championship 18th

1948

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FCGFCG
1-0

Portisch, Lajos vs Keres, Paul

Petropolis Interzonal

1973

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FCGFCG
0-1

Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul

World Championship 18th

1948

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Games (1570)

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Portisch, Lajos vs Keres, Paul★
1-0
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 D41
Keres, Paul vs Bronstein, David I★
1/2-1/2
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 D16
Keres, Paul vs Reshevsky, Samuel Herman★
1/2-1/2
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 C95
Keres, Paul vs Ljubojevic, Ljubomir★
1/2-1/2
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 B51
Keres, Paul vs Smyslov, Vassily★
0-1
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 C97
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Keres, Paul★
1-0
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 E08
Geller, Efim P vs Keres, Paul★
1-0
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 D43
Keres, Paul vs Petrosian, Tigran V★
1/2-1/2
Bamberg 1968 C11
Geller, Efim P vs Keres, Paul★
1/2-1/2
Gothenburg Interzonal 1955 A30
Bronstein, David I vs Keres, Paul★
1-0
Gothenburg Interzonal 1955 E41
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Keres, Paul★
1/2-1/2
Gothenburg Interzonal 1955 E43
Keres, Paul vs Spassky, Boris V★
1-0
Gothenburg Interzonal 1955 E14
Keres, Paul vs Najdorf, Miguel★
1-0
Gothenburg Interzonal 1955 B98
Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail★
1-0
World Championship 18th 1948 C15
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Keres, Paul★
1-0
World Championship 18th 1948 D06
Keres, Paul vs Smyslov, Vassily★
1/2-1/2
World Championship 18th 1948 D99
Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul★
0-1
World Championship 18th 1948 E02
Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail★
0-1
World Championship 18th 1948 A13
Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul★
1-0
World Championship 18th 1948 D36
Keres, Paul vs Euwe, Max★
1/2-1/2
World Championship 18th 1948 C86
Keres, Paul vs Smyslov, Vassily★
1/2-1/2
World Championship 18th 1948 A16
Euwe, Max vs Keres, Paul★
0-1
World Championship 18th 1948 E32
Euwe, Max vs Keres, Paul★
0-1
World Championship 18th 1948 C74
Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vs Keres, Paul★
0-1
World Championship 18th 1948 D45
Keres, Paul vs Reshevsky, Samuel Herman★
1/2-1/2
World Championship 18th 1948 C71
Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vs Keres, Paul★
1-0
World Championship 18th 1948 A15
Keres, Paul vs Euwe, Max★
1-0
World Championship 18th 1948 C81
Keres, Paul vs Smyslov, Vassily★
1-0
World Championship 18th 1948 D94
Euwe, Max vs Keres, Paul★
0-1
World Championship 18th 1948 C75
Keres, Paul vs Reshevsky, Samuel Herman★
0-1
World Championship 18th 1948 C81
Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vs Keres, Paul★
1/2-1/2
World Championship 18th 1948 E32
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Keres, Paul★
1-0
World Championship 18th 1948 E28
Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail★
0-1
World Championship 18th 1948 C08
Keres, Paul vs Bronstein, David I
1/2-1/2
Tallinn 1975 C42
Keres, Paul vs Spassky, Boris V
1/2-1/2
Tallinn 1975 B22
Keres, Paul vs Karpov, Anatoly
1/2-1/2
URS-ch41 1973 E19
Mecking, Henrique vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 C73
Keres, Paul vs Bronstein, David I
1/2-1/2
Tallinn 1973 D38
Keres, Paul vs Spassky, Boris V
1/2-1/2
FRG-ch International 1973 C95
Kagan, Shimon vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 C68
Keres, Paul vs Tan Lian Ann
1-0
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 D61
Ivkov, Borislav vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 E18
Biyiasas, Peter vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 C68
Tal, Mihail vs Keres, Paul
1-0
URS-ch41 1973 C75
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Tallinn 1973 D41
Geller, Efim P vs Keres, Paul
1-0
URS-ch41 1973 C87
Keres, Paul vs Gheorghiu, Florin
1/2-1/2
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 A48
Hort, Vlastimil vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 A11
Keres, Paul vs Hug, Werner
1-0
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 B36
Keres, Paul vs Beliavsky, Alexander G
1-0
URS-ch41 1973 E14
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